Why Gen Katumba’s slain daughter Brenda is going to be buried in a wedding gown

Gen Edward Katumba Wamala’s daughter Brenda Nantongo Katumba will be buried in a wedding gown, according to her mother Catherine Katumba.

Brenda, together with Gen Katumba’s driver Haruna Katumba were killed during an assassination attempt on the former minister of Works and Transport.

Gen Katumba who was travelling along with the duo was attacked by assailants riding on two boda bodas on Tuesday along Kisota road in Kisaasi. The former UPDF Chief survived with bullet injuries in his arms.

During her speech on Wednesday evening at Brenda’s vigil at their home in Najjera, Mrs Katumba said it was always her daughter’s dream to put on a wedding dress before she dies but her wish did not go as she had planned.

Mrs Katumba said that whenever they went to wedding ceremonies, Brenda would admire brides putting on nice gowns.

“My daughter is going to be buried in a wedding gown. It was always her dream to put on a nice wedding gown on her wedding day but it has not been possible. We have decided to at least make her put on one on this special day,” Mrs Katumba said.

“I used to get visions of Brenda’s wedding. I thought they were good little did I know that they were indicating danger. Many have not seen her in a coffin, but she is dressed in a wedding gown and we will bury her in a wedding gown,”she added.

Brenda is going to be buried today Thursday as her ancestral home in Kikandwa, Mukono District at 2pm.

Who was Brenda Nantongo? 

Family members say Brenda returned from the US a year ago where she pursued a Master in Public Health from Savanah University in Atlanta.

The 32 year old then took up a job at the army hospital in Bombo, where she worked until before her death. She also attended Kabojja International School.

“Her father asked her to come back after her masters in the US,” a relative who preferred anonymity, said.

Brenda is said to have been the darling of the family and had a special bond with her father.

She was seen in his company during the recently concluded swearing-in ceremony of Members of Parliament. Mrs Catherine Katumba, the deceased’s mother, described her as a “lovely friend” whose life was snatched at a prime age. The fourth of six siblings had been living with her parents in Bulabira, Wakiso District.

Lydia Nakkazi, a housekeeper at the Katumba home, said Brenda was devastated by her grandmother’s death when she left home on Tuesday morning. Away from the loss, Ms Nakkazi says Brenda was a down-to-earth and amiable person who treated all people with respect and courtesy.

“She loved to cook for her parents. Before she left on Tuesday morning she asked me to remove fish from the freezer so that she could prepare it for daddy [Gen Katumba] when they returned from the vigil. Whenever she was home, she would ensure everyone is catered for,” Nakkazzi said.

Diana Katumba, Brenda’s elder sister, described her as one who “made home lively. She brought life at home. She was also very open. She would say something as blank as she liked.”